Walter howard



(No Model.)

W. HOWARD.

BUTTON PASTENER.

No. 509,436. Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

/7 W12 NESSES [NYE/1002 UNITED STATES PATENT @rwrcn.

WALTER HOWARD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BUTTON-FASTEN ER.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,436, dated November 28, 1893.

Application filed September 11, 1893. Serial No. 485,269- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be'it known that I, WALTER HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to button fasteners consisting of a piece of wire suitably bent to provide a free end adapted to be introduced within the looped shank of buttons to retain them temporarily or permanently secured to garments.

The objects of my improvement are to provide a fastener of this class with a metal bearing for the free end of the cross-bar of the fastener, and with metal branches to serve asguards on both sides of the shank of the button retained by said cross bar. I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is perspective view of a button fastener constructed in accordance with my invention. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are modifications of the same. Fig. 7 is a side view of a button provided with a wire shank having a button-hole guard thereon and secured toa piece of cloth, with a spring-wire button-fastener constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 7 is abottom view'of said button, button-hole guard and wire fastener. Fig. Sis a perspective view of the button-hole guard. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of abutton made with four holes therethrough and pieces of looped wire passing through said holes to provide looped shanks and button hole guards for said wire shanks. Fig. 10 is a side view of the button shown in Fig. Fig. 11 is a side view of a cross bar button provided with a looped shank to adapt it to receive a button fastener constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 12 is atop View of the cross bar button provided with alooped shank. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the looped shank.

In said drawings a and b in Fig. 1 are the two branches of the bent wire, and c the crossbar or tongue of the button fastener. Said cross-bar rests upon the branches or and b and said branches present a rigid metallic support for the cross bar that is to be passed through the shank of a button, while said branches constitute guards on both sides of said shank. To normally force and retain the free end of the cross bar-beyond the outer side of the branch I), a spring is formed between the branches by looping the spring wire of the fasteneras shown at d. The tendency of said spring is to force the end or point of the cross bar 0 beyond the side of the branch I). To retain the branch 0. at the proper distance from the branch I) the end of said branch ais bent over in the form of a nearly closed hook at f and made to engage with the loop at as shown in Fig. 1 or with some other part of the branch I). To introduce the cross bar 0 within the shank of the button, the operator simply pushes the cross bar against the resilience of the spring until its point is about half way between the branches (1 andb. He then places the shank of the button between said branches, in line with the point of the cross bar, and

releases the latter; the button will then be,

found to be secured by the fastener.

In Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 the cross baro of the fastener is shown doubled upon itself to increase its power of resistance. Itis made from one of the branches of the fastener and its free end rests upon the other branch.

The button fastener shown applied to a button in Figs. 7 and 7 is similar to that shown in Fig. 3. The button hole guard shown in Figs. 7, 7, 8, 9 and 10 consists of a small disk having a slot therethrough to receive the shank of the button.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim 1. A button fastener consisting essentially of a piece of spring-wire bent upon itself about the middle of its length to form two branches, and having a spring formed thereof in the bend of said branches, and the cross bar of the fastener extended laterally from one of the branches and bearing upon the second branch substantially as shown and described.

2. A button fastener consisting essentially of a piece of spring-wire bent and looped upon of one of its branches in the form of a hook and encircling a portion of the second branch, said second branch having a tongue extending transversely across the first branch; whereby said tongue is adapted .to enter into engagement with the shank of a button and normally retain it thereon between the branches of the fastener.

3. The combination of a button, its projecting metal shank and button hole guard thereon, with a button fastener consisting essentially of a piece of spring wire bent upon itself about the middle of its length to form two branches and having a spring formed thereof in the bend of said branches, and the cross bar of the fastener extended laterally from I; one of the branches and bearing upon the second branch substantially as shown and described. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in l presence of two witnesses.

WALTER HOWARD. WVitnesses:

E. E. MAssoN, L. D. HEINRICHS. 

